I love MMA and think it is fascinating not to mention fun to watch. My favorite fighter is Fedor and my favorite styles are Muay Thai and submission techniques.

I don't wanna be a professional or amateur fighter but just wanna learn the sport for the fun and athleticism of it and to a lesser extent self defense.

How would I be able to learn basic grappling, striking, and submission techniques the quickest? I live in New York. Which type of gym? I would do Brazilian Ju Jitsu but I heard there is very little striking.

Would a guy like me be able to do it? I have never been in a fight in my life or gotten punched in the face hard.
Be honest because if I am not physically big or aggressive enough then tell me.

I am currently very out of shape and am 24. I am 5'7 210 but have a big build, broad shoulders, and can lift a decent amount of weight. I played rugby in college, can tackle well, deal with pain and adrenaline well in that way, and am athletic and explosive for my size. My takedowns would def. be good. Also I have a strong grip and can prob. choke someone out well. I know how to train on a basic level in terms of weights and plyometrics and aerobic exercises, etc. cutting weight is tough for me though.

How much weight would I need to cut before I could star learning techniques? How much would I have to train? My buddy told me that it doesnt matter and I should start as soon as I can and I will train alongside and the instructors work with you.

So let me know; as I always avoid confrontation in real life though, as I think fighting is pointless when it can be avoided. As a sport though I think it would be awesome and I think it is amazing the degree of respect MMA fighters have for each other.

You should start by figuring out how many and what kinds of gyms are in your area. Once you know what the options are, it becomes much easier to make a choice. Some good arts to look for, off of the top of my head:

Once you know which, if any, of the gyms in your area teach those arts you can start checking them out. Talk to the instructors, figure out if it's in your price range, ask if you can take a trial class, ect. This probably won't be the case with any of the arts listed, but just as a heads up, if they demand that you sign a long-term contract, have child blackbelts, don't spar (or only do light contact/point sparring), don't want you to take a trial class or watch a class before signing up, ect, it's a red flag.

Whatever you pick, I'm sure that you'll do fine. Don't worry about cutting weight or trying to get in amazing shape while you're still a beginner. Just focus on finding somewhere to train, and if you have any questions after that you can always just ask the coach.

__________________
"I don't want them to like me, because when I'm in the ring, punches fly to the face. It is not a tenderness time. I am not falling in love. And he knows that when the fight starts I am kicking faces."
- Wanderlei Silva

Age has nothing to do with it. I was 23 when i started bjj and 25 when i started Muay Thai. Size has nothing to do with bjj or how strong you are. It's all about technique. Same goes for MT although since it involves striking, strength is a bit important. But, if you really are interested you must be prepared to 'bleed' during training. I remember, before i had a knee injury, i trained to the point i thought i'd puke my guts. But the results afterwards were great! Dedication...you need dedication. That's my advice